Post by hubertbartels on Feb 1, 2020 14:12:15 GMT -5
After a long night’s sleep in the guest quarters of the Palace, the party was woken by Ashmael’s knock on the door. She wanted to escort the party down to her mistress, Inkit-Kul, Consort to the Black Sovereign.
On the way down to the Upper Court, they passed a lot of bodies, some garbed in the armor of the Palace Guard. Ashmael explained that Tek-Makul, the former head of the guard, was not the only traitor – there were many others in the palace that wanted to re-addict Kevoth-Kul and return the Technic League to power. But Inkit-Kul and her forces had prevailed.
Upstairs in the great feasting hall – the party found Inkit-Kul. She was accompanied by a small crowd including Barnaby Cutler, Drak-Mok and Baern Musdaerg. Inkit-Kul began by thanking various people for their help – Barnaby Cutler by providing the books and information from Andor to become a better, educated person, Drak-Mok, for believing in her husband and Baern for general bloodshed. She went on to announce that she would now be the head of the Palace Guard and Ashmael her second-in-command.
Kevoth-Kul, because of his long isolation from the tribes of Numeria, would be unable to take his throne and rule effectively. As such, Inkit-Kul declared, she was declaring a Regency Council of the people in this room to rule Numeria until Kevoth-Kul could take up his duties again. Erasmus and Isotvar had an inkling that the Black Sovereign would never be able to recover his throne.
The new regent gave orders to Drak-Mok and Baern to keep up the pressure on the Technic League forces in Starfall. Then she turned to the party. “We’ve captured Ghartone, the former liaison to the Black Sovereign – do you want to talk to him.”
The party found Ghartone in a small room, staring at nothing. In talking to the Technic League Captain, they began to see that he was trying to pass on information quietly. Erasmus cast ‘Detect Thoughts’ and encouraged the prisoner to think his thoughts.
They learned that Ghartone had been implanted with a cranial bomb that could listen in on him. Ozmyn Zaidlow implanted it and used it to enforce loyalty in the Technic League Captain.
Leaving the prisoner again staring into nothing, the party was met by Ashmael who would show them the entrance to the secret tunnel.
The hidden door opened to a broad set of stairs leading down. There were a faint layering of dust, showing that this passage was used often. Then their communicator buzzed. Zernebeth, their Technic League contact, was calling them. She told them that she had given orders, emptying most of the Technic League compound and sending them into the streets of Starfall. Ozmyn Zaidlow was holed up in his rooms. Zernebeth was able to unlock most of the doors but she was unable to command the gearsmen to stand down. The large robots got their signal commands from somewhere else.
The passage turned, leaving the party in a large foul smelling room. This was the quarters of a large giant accustomed to be thrown prisoners and slaves to amuse him before being smashed. Obin smashed him instead.
They left the dead giant and entered the next chamber, a long room dedicated to Zyphus and occupied by four Leukodaemons. The daemons were angry at the interlopers and jumped to attack. The party made short work of them. Doors at the end of the sanctuary turned out to be doors to the Numeria treasury. Amelina picked the lock and Astrovel shovel 28,000 gp worth of coins, gems and such into his bags. There were signs that the Technic League had been here first and pilfered everything valuable, leaving silver coins and gems in case someone came to look.
A passage south from the sanctuary, through rock led out onto a wooden bridge that ended suddenly. Erasmus’s Dancing Lights showed that the bridge stood over a pit 20’ deep, coated with bones and broken robots. This was the place where the tribes disposed of fallen Black Sovereigns – some of which were still alive when thrown from the bridge.
There was a glimpse of the secret tunnel on the other wall. The party climbed down and started to cross the field of bones. Then a dybbuk arose from the debris and told them they were to join her throne room forever. It was the ghost of the First Sovereign. Amelina did a lot of damage to her so the dybbuk tried to possess her. Istovar forced her out of Amelina’s body with a spell. The dybbuk then possessed several robots, using them to attack Amelina until they were destroyed. Finally, as the dybbuk tried to jump into another robot, Eramus was able to destory her with a spell.
The secret tunnel was bored through rock and braced with metal supports. It ended in a secret door opening onto a corridor in the Technic League compound. Ahead, the party could see the shadows cast by a pair of Gearsmen standing guard. Entering the room, the Gearsmen demanded authorization for them to be there. Nothing that the party had worked so they destroyed the robots.
Their communicator buzzed again. Zernebeth saw that an alarm had been raised in the basement. She suppressed it for the moment. She gave them directions to take out the compound’s Security Center and then how to get through the headquarters to Ozmyn’s rooms.
The Security Center was a room filled with monitors and other apparatus. Overseeing it all were two halflings and a Gearsmen. The party burst in and quickly made short work of the halflings and their guard.
From there, Astrovel was able to use the images from the monitors to cast an Arcane Gate to the stair landing just below Ozmyn’s level. Teleporting past the Gearsmen on the ground floor, the party found themselves in front of a door. Amelina unlocked the door to find Zernebeth’s chambers. Zernebeth was at a monitor, hacking away like crazy, “Go, get Ozmyn,” she urged, “I’m trying to keep the other Technic League Captains from getting inside the compound.”
Leaving Zernebeth, the party climbed to the top of the stairs. In Ozmyn’s chambers they found the head of the Technic League with 3 gearmen. But Ozmyn was quickly despatched. The threatening gearsmen fell silent. Zernebeth came up. “Good,” she said. “I will take his head to show I’m in command now.”
While Zernebeth went to take control of the Technic League and quell the Technic League Captains, the party took the opportunity to collect a few items and glance over Ozmyn’s notes. He had been controlled by a power from the Silvermount for a while now, a power calling itself, ‘Unity’.
On the way down to the Upper Court, they passed a lot of bodies, some garbed in the armor of the Palace Guard. Ashmael explained that Tek-Makul, the former head of the guard, was not the only traitor – there were many others in the palace that wanted to re-addict Kevoth-Kul and return the Technic League to power. But Inkit-Kul and her forces had prevailed.
Upstairs in the great feasting hall – the party found Inkit-Kul. She was accompanied by a small crowd including Barnaby Cutler, Drak-Mok and Baern Musdaerg. Inkit-Kul began by thanking various people for their help – Barnaby Cutler by providing the books and information from Andor to become a better, educated person, Drak-Mok, for believing in her husband and Baern for general bloodshed. She went on to announce that she would now be the head of the Palace Guard and Ashmael her second-in-command.
Kevoth-Kul, because of his long isolation from the tribes of Numeria, would be unable to take his throne and rule effectively. As such, Inkit-Kul declared, she was declaring a Regency Council of the people in this room to rule Numeria until Kevoth-Kul could take up his duties again. Erasmus and Isotvar had an inkling that the Black Sovereign would never be able to recover his throne.
The new regent gave orders to Drak-Mok and Baern to keep up the pressure on the Technic League forces in Starfall. Then she turned to the party. “We’ve captured Ghartone, the former liaison to the Black Sovereign – do you want to talk to him.”
The party found Ghartone in a small room, staring at nothing. In talking to the Technic League Captain, they began to see that he was trying to pass on information quietly. Erasmus cast ‘Detect Thoughts’ and encouraged the prisoner to think his thoughts.
They learned that Ghartone had been implanted with a cranial bomb that could listen in on him. Ozmyn Zaidlow implanted it and used it to enforce loyalty in the Technic League Captain.
Leaving the prisoner again staring into nothing, the party was met by Ashmael who would show them the entrance to the secret tunnel.
The hidden door opened to a broad set of stairs leading down. There were a faint layering of dust, showing that this passage was used often. Then their communicator buzzed. Zernebeth, their Technic League contact, was calling them. She told them that she had given orders, emptying most of the Technic League compound and sending them into the streets of Starfall. Ozmyn Zaidlow was holed up in his rooms. Zernebeth was able to unlock most of the doors but she was unable to command the gearsmen to stand down. The large robots got their signal commands from somewhere else.
The passage turned, leaving the party in a large foul smelling room. This was the quarters of a large giant accustomed to be thrown prisoners and slaves to amuse him before being smashed. Obin smashed him instead.
They left the dead giant and entered the next chamber, a long room dedicated to Zyphus and occupied by four Leukodaemons. The daemons were angry at the interlopers and jumped to attack. The party made short work of them. Doors at the end of the sanctuary turned out to be doors to the Numeria treasury. Amelina picked the lock and Astrovel shovel 28,000 gp worth of coins, gems and such into his bags. There were signs that the Technic League had been here first and pilfered everything valuable, leaving silver coins and gems in case someone came to look.
A passage south from the sanctuary, through rock led out onto a wooden bridge that ended suddenly. Erasmus’s Dancing Lights showed that the bridge stood over a pit 20’ deep, coated with bones and broken robots. This was the place where the tribes disposed of fallen Black Sovereigns – some of which were still alive when thrown from the bridge.
There was a glimpse of the secret tunnel on the other wall. The party climbed down and started to cross the field of bones. Then a dybbuk arose from the debris and told them they were to join her throne room forever. It was the ghost of the First Sovereign. Amelina did a lot of damage to her so the dybbuk tried to possess her. Istovar forced her out of Amelina’s body with a spell. The dybbuk then possessed several robots, using them to attack Amelina until they were destroyed. Finally, as the dybbuk tried to jump into another robot, Eramus was able to destory her with a spell.
The secret tunnel was bored through rock and braced with metal supports. It ended in a secret door opening onto a corridor in the Technic League compound. Ahead, the party could see the shadows cast by a pair of Gearsmen standing guard. Entering the room, the Gearsmen demanded authorization for them to be there. Nothing that the party had worked so they destroyed the robots.
Their communicator buzzed again. Zernebeth saw that an alarm had been raised in the basement. She suppressed it for the moment. She gave them directions to take out the compound’s Security Center and then how to get through the headquarters to Ozmyn’s rooms.
The Security Center was a room filled with monitors and other apparatus. Overseeing it all were two halflings and a Gearsmen. The party burst in and quickly made short work of the halflings and their guard.
From there, Astrovel was able to use the images from the monitors to cast an Arcane Gate to the stair landing just below Ozmyn’s level. Teleporting past the Gearsmen on the ground floor, the party found themselves in front of a door. Amelina unlocked the door to find Zernebeth’s chambers. Zernebeth was at a monitor, hacking away like crazy, “Go, get Ozmyn,” she urged, “I’m trying to keep the other Technic League Captains from getting inside the compound.”
Leaving Zernebeth, the party climbed to the top of the stairs. In Ozmyn’s chambers they found the head of the Technic League with 3 gearmen. But Ozmyn was quickly despatched. The threatening gearsmen fell silent. Zernebeth came up. “Good,” she said. “I will take his head to show I’m in command now.”
While Zernebeth went to take control of the Technic League and quell the Technic League Captains, the party took the opportunity to collect a few items and glance over Ozmyn’s notes. He had been controlled by a power from the Silvermount for a while now, a power calling itself, ‘Unity’.